4 Meat Label Lies

The next time you cook out, you might want to read the label on your meat before you light the grill. Eighty percent of all antibiotics sold in the United States are used on animals, which could be contributing to antibiotic resistance in humans, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Antibiotics are used on animals to make them quickly grow bigger and to prevent sickness in the herd, says Elisabeth Holmes, staff attorney with the Center for Food Safety. But that practice may give rise to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. And since most antibiotics are resistant to heat, cooking the meat won’t do much, says Edward Mills, Ph.D., M.S., associate professor of dairy and animal science at Penn State University.

But the research surrounding the issue is inconclusive. “Antibiotic concern is not firmly grounded in evidence,” says Alan Aragon, M.S., the Men’s Health nutrition advisor.

If you want to buy antibiotic-free meat, how do you know what to choose? Meat labels are notoriously confusing, and for good reason—some terms are regulated by the USDA or another certifier, while others are vague marketing terms that only sound like official certifications.

Here’s how to navigate the labels in your supermarket’s meat shelves. (For more advice on how to make smart nutrition choices, sign up for our free Eat This, Not That! newsletter.)

Labels That Don’t Mean Much:

Natural
This label means that the meat contains no artificial ingredients or added color and is minimally processed. But it makes no claims about how the animal was raised. Antibiotics can be used in “natural” meat and poultry.

Free Range
This poultry label claims the animals can roam outside, but no one verifies it. It does not specify how long the bird is given outdoor access, or if it’s confined in a crowded pen when indoors.

Antibiotic-Free and No Antibiotic ResiduesEven though the USDA has banned these labels, some supermarkets still use them. No one approves these terms, so they could mean just about anything.

GrassfedThis label only means that your burger once munched on grass. It doesn’t make any guarantees if that beef is antibiotic-free or hormone-free. (Want dozens of rib-tickling, mesquite-smoked summer recipes that will help you grill off your gut? Check out Grill This, Not That!today.)

Labels to Look For:

USDA Organic/Certified OrganicThe USDA ensures that meat and poultry with the certified USDA Organic label has never been given antibiotics or hormones. It also guarantees that no genetic engineering or radiation were used.

Food Alliance Certified
Food Alliance verifies that their animals are not given non-therapeutic antibiotics. The animal is only given antibiotics when sick.

Animal Welfare Approved
This label does not allow sub-therapeutic antibiotics, raises their animals outdoors on a pasture, treats the animals humanely, and has a slaughter house review.

American Grassfed Certified
This label guarantees that the cow was raised on grass (not confined to a pen), never given antibiotics or hormones, and was born and raised in the U.S. Grassfed, pasture-raised meats are higher in omega-3, lower in omega-6, and tend to be leaner than grain-fed beef. (Still confused about what's written on your food? Use The Food Label Translator to clear things up.)

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Men's Health participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.